ahead for the sector Industry collaboration and inclusion

By Roisin Woolnough 320 Essex residents a week, and has Sport for Confi dence places health During April and May it had professionals and specialist coaches into contacted 751 individuals under the leisure centres to support people who new scheme, delivered 2,631 face barriers to participation in sport interventions and shared 965 home and physical activity. On 20 March, physical activity workouts. “Everyone Covid-19 abruptly ended the knows we’re always a phone call away,” organisation’s on-site work when the says Turner. government announced that all leisure Megan Potts, a Sport for Confi dence centres had to close. Undeterred, on 1 occupational therapist in the April, Sport for Confi dence launched Chelmsford and Southend area, says Stay Connected, its remote service for she calls new referrals for a chat and to vulnerable adults in Essex. talk about issues such as establishing a

Th rough Stay Connected, Sport for daily routine, the importance of Confi dence has redeployed all of its self-care, healthy eating, rest and occupational therapists and sports physical activity. Th ey also discuss coaches to deliver an ‘at home’ service. goal-setting and ways to engage with As well as supporting existing clients, family, friends and neighbours. “We see Sport for Confi dence is taking referrals how they are getting on, what their from 14 Active Networks, from learning structure is like, and we can provide disability and autism social work teams personalised interventions and videos.” and Supported Living providers. Potts says there are structured

Jake Turner, operations manager at physical activity Zoom sessions each Sport for Confi dence, says the remote day that clients can access, covering service has been very successful. activities such as football skills, dance

“We are really grateful that we’ve and fun fi tness, and she is looking at been able to continue an adapted setting up a sing-and-stretch class. version of the model,” he says. “We’ve clients who normally come to our sessions once, twice or three times a week, and being able to stay in touch with them virtually has done a lot for their emotional and mental wellbeing.” In touch: residents at Fenham Lodge in Hatfi eld

Stay Connected Peverel in Essex. Sport for Confi dence has been able to stay in touch with its participants thereis supporting about taken on 100 new referrals.

MESSAGE FROM CIMSPA CEO

How our world has changed since the last edition of S&PA Professional. We completed the spring issue just as the government ordered the closure of all gyms and leisure centres across the UK to halt the spread of the coronavirus, plunging the sector and its workforce into the unknown.

Over the intervening three months we have worked tirelessly to support the sector through the crisis, with practical information and guidance, as well as free products and services via our new Stronger Together digital hub. This hub is providing critical support for all those working in the sector and has been made possible thanks to the generosity of a host of organisations, whose benevolence has been truly inspiring. You can learn more about it on page 12.

While the end is not yet in sight, and the future still remains uncertain for many in the industry, we are gradually moving towards the recovery stage. There’s no doubt that we will emerge into a diff erent world, one in which I’m convinced sport and physical activity will play a more critical role than at any other time in our history. Government and its medical advisors have been extolling the virtues of exercise throughout the pandemic, so now is the time to stake our claim and prove our worth.